How We Make Funding Decisions

Our funding principles, decision making process and commitments are the cornerstones of our operations.

Funding principles

All of the Canada Council’s activities are guided by its mandate and are rooted in its responsibilities and duties as a Crown corporation. Its activities are further guided by the funding principles, which provide the philosophical and ethical framework for the Canada Council’s decision-making, particularly when it comes to grants.

Decision-making process

The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to transparency, integrity and full accountability in its funding decisions, with peer assessment at the heart of its decision-making processes. The three main steps of its decision-making process define the roles and responsibilities of the persons involved in its funding decisions. Our decision-making takes into account our commitments and principles.

Commitments

Every five years, the Canada Council reviews its investments, their outcomes, the challenges and realities of the sector and develops strategies to maximize the impact of public funding for the arts on the community and the general public.

The 2016-21 Strategic Plan is structured around four key commitments. Each commitment includes specific actions for meeting our equity objectives and supporting next-generation artists and audiences.

These commitments will be achieved primarily through our programs, our initiatives and our strategic funds.